


M.I.A

by LMC25



Category: Thunderbirds
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-05
Updated: 2021-01-16
Packaged: 2021-03-16 04:07:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 18,328
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28575747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LMC25/pseuds/LMC25
Summary: It should have been a routine trip home to base for Thunderbird one, until a freak storm takes Scott right out of the sky. Can his brothers locate him in time? His emergency and survival skills are pushed to the limit...will Scott ever make it home?
Comments: 10
Kudos: 12





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> First posted on FF net, follow on from under fire but can be read as a stand alone. Apologies I haven't written a story in a long time (Nearly two years) so I may be a little rusty! I am on leave at the moment and this idea came to me one evening after I revisited watching the original series. I watch TAG too so there may be a few elements that mix in. Disclaimer: As ever I do not own the rights to Thunderbirds, they are Gerry and Silvia's creation and what creative geniuses they were! I hope you enjoy reading!

A flickering dim green glow was bothering him, the strobe light buzzing and the occasional plink, plink; What does a guy need to do to get some rest around here? Come to think of it…why did he feel so drained and…. why was it so hard for him to wake up?

He blinked slowly as he slipped in and out of semi consciousness. He could feel an uncomfortable pressure cutting into the delicate skin around his collar bone. Drip, drip, drip, drop, something viscous and tar like was running into his hairline. The wet, trickling sensation giving him chills. He inhaled the sharp copper tang of... blood? Pain assaulted his senses like a red-hot poker as he opened his eyes fully. He moaned willing himself into action along with the niggling feeling that something was wrong. He squinted his eyes but still couldn't make sense of his surroundings. He was staring at the interior roof of Thunderbird one, the emergency lighting creating a dim ghostly green around the inside of the craft. Fear seeped into him involuntarily as he realised that the only thing keeping him suspended was his pilot seat's restraints.

'Owww... my head, what happened?' he flicked the radio on. 'This is Thunderbird one to….to base…emergency… do you receive me?' Scott slurred. Static. Nothing. He gingerly moved his arm to press the button on his watch only to feel broken glass - much to his dismay! His watch communication was busted too. 'hmm, comms must have – owww damn it! I must have hit my head hard! Comms are damaged. I…I… can't think…. I've just gotta - got to, free myself.' His head lolled dangerously forward as he tried to fumble with the restraints. It was hard going to move at all, his whole body felt like it was made of lead but he knew he needed to release the pressure on his head and get the right side up. Which ever way that was! Third time fumbling with the release mechanism was the charm and he dropped unceremoniously onto the roof interior of his bird, not even managing to splay his hands out in front of him to cushion the blow. His breath whooshed out of him. 'Ugh'

He scraped himself onto his back for a moment whilst he tried to gain his bearings. Spread eagled and gasping for air, His vision blurred as his world spun around him. The rigid struts of one's interior dug into his back, his muscles rippling with spasms uncontrollably. The wave of bile and the instant rush of nausea gave him a brief warning before he rolled onto his side and vomited. He coughed and dragged his sleeve across his mouth as he tried to put some distance between him and the growing puddle, revulsion and the feeling of sickness overwhelming him. 'Ok, ok, take it easy Tracy.' He closed his eyes and took grounding breaths, concentrating on the feeling of hard metal on his back, the cold metallic feeling under his fingers, the sense of touch alone with his eyes closed was soothing. It was helping... well a bit.

Talking to himself helped him to get his thoughts in order and process his situation. 'Right… no communications and emergency power is on which means flying capabilities are nil…even if I was fit enough'. He took a deep breath and waited for the next wave of nausea and throbbing to die down, he raised his arm across his head, his hand shielding his eyes with a grimace of agony. The blood congealed on his sleeve to match the one covered in vomit. Ahh! that's just peachy! Scott thought to himself. So, the best thing would be to start with what he knew, if he was going to get himself out of this mess. 'Well I know the emergency generator lasts for 12 hours, so when the lights go out and the climate controls die, I know 12 hours will have passed. I also know that they will be looking for me and use my last known coordinates so there is a good chance of rescue I just don't know when. In the meantime, I could do with patching myself up.' He looked up (and immediately regretted it) but he did spy the emergency kit that he was seeking. He tried to push himself up the curve of Thunderbird one's interior to a standing position, whilst feeling grateful he was so tall. It meant he could still reach the cupboard that was now positioned above him on the floor and not below him. The first attempt his hand just brushed the handle and he dropped down exhausted, a couple of minutes later he mustered enough will power to have another go and pulled the handle downwards. The entire contents rained down on him eliciting a hissing, cussing crescendo of profanities from him. He fell to his knees and grabbed the nearest pack; he was sweating now with the intensity of his suffering. He smiled in triumph when his hands closed around the bottle of water and first aid kit. He stuffed down some pain killers with the water and leaned back on the cool metal in relief. He hoped they kicked in soon. Then he drew the kit into his lap and fished an adhesive dressing out to slap on his forehead, it probably needed stitches but this would do for now. By the time he was done his hands were bloodied and he felt a horrible clamminess at the base of his neck but the pain was ebbing down to almost bearable. He started to unfold the foil blanket before he passed out again into oblivion, it lying forgotten in his lap. His head slumped against the metal strut. The light continued to flicker, shadows playing across the deathly white pallor of the pilot's face.


	2. Chapter 2

Beep, Beep!..... Beep,Beep! The eyes on the portrait of the blonde handsome young man with fine angular cheekbones, pulsated with the tell-tale white lights that signaled an incoming call. Jeff Tracy turned to face the portrait whilst flicking up the ash tray on his desk to reveal a speaker. 'Go ahead John'.

'Hey father, just checking in to see if Virgil and Scott have made it home yet? The solar flare is due to hit in the next 10 minutes, I've taken all the necessary precautions here but this is a big flare and could potentially knock out communications on earth as well as here, so there may be a communications blackout from me for quite some time'.

'Well their ears must have been burning; Virgil and Gordon have just walked in. From what I gather Scott was just packing down and passing over to the local emergency teams on the ground?'

'Yes father' Virgil's dulcet tone carried across the lounge as he stretched out on the couch, he was knackered. Although it was two years since Virgil had suffered a serious brain injury and recovered, he was still plagued by fatigue and a few other problematic symptoms from time to time. Gordon sat next to Tin-Tin who offered to get him and Virgil some refreshments, to which they accepted enthusiastically.

'Should be along soon then, when was the last time he checked in John?' Jeff questioned.

'Twenty minutes ago, he had just packed up and was air borne'

'Should be along in the next forty minutes or so then, I take it he is aware of the storm?'

'Yes sir, I informed him as he left.'

'Good. Well thanks for the heads-up John. You stay safe and report in as soon as you can'. Jeff frowned in concern.

'Will do father, try not to worry I've ridden out quite a few of these now'.

'I know but that doesn't stop your old man worrying.'

John gave his best smile 'F.A.B' and signed out. The portrait returned to its static image in line with its brothers. Jeff eyes lingered on his eldest son's portrait; his fingers poised to call but refrained at last minute. He was sure he would be home soon. It was not unusual for Scott to be the first and last on a scene of a rescue.

Virgil had fallen asleep right where he had dropped. It had been a long flight to Argentina to rescue those miners and it hadn't been an easy operation. The others let him rest easy aware of his previous condition, he would be much improved after some rest. In the corner of the lounge at a low coffee table, Gordon was playing a heated game of checkers with Alan. Gordon was always a ball of energy and it would take at least several rescues in a day to wear him down. The other brothers always wished they had his energy reserves.

Alan was pouting at the injustice of Gordon's latest move.

'It's not my fault you didn't anticipate my move Alan!' he grinned with glee at his brother.

Alan frowned 'I'll show you' He replied haughtily, with all the bravado and confidence he could instill, knowing full well he was beaten.

'Hey! Come one Alan you can't cheat just because your losing- '.

'Who says I'm cheating?!'

'You always cheat once you realise it's not going to end in your favour!' Gordon mocked.

'Boys knock it off!' Jeff scolded them over the top of his paper and sighed. Gordon just grinned as Alan looked furious. Jeff reflected that he seriously regretted the short age gap between them sometimes, it brought out a petty competitiveness in all of them at some point or another. Their bickering had disturbed his reading, he glanced at the clock on the wall and realised over an hour and a half had passed since John's call. Hmm. something was wrong. He stood up and strode across to his desk.

Alan and Gordon picked up on their fathers' tension and immediately abandoned their game. Virgil stirred on the couch as if on cue.

'Base to Thunderbird one'.

The beep, beep, beep, beep bore into Jeff's thoughts as he willed his eldest to respond and put his mind at ease but the portrait remained static, those blue eyes motionless and unresponsive.

'Scott do you read me?'

Hmm. Not good. He knew he might not make it through to Thunderbird 5 but he called anyway.

'Base to Thunderbird 5, do you receive me?' All Jeff got was static.

'Dad do you think something's happened to Scott?' Virgil was between Alan and Gordon now, brow creased with worry.

'I don't know, but it's not like him to take this long, I don't like it at all!' He looked at the last coordinates received from the data gathered from Scott's last check in.

'looking at this, his last coordinates he was just over the amazon rain forest and the river there (He pointed to a map) ….' Jeff pondered for a moment. What would make his son late? Technical/ mechanical trouble? Sabotage? Usually he would ask John to pull up a live satellite feed of the area but thanks to the current solar flare that was impossible so he had no idea what they were dealing with. The internet and news channels were still functioning on the screens behind his desk which assured him that earth's communications were still functioning at least. He searched for news in Brazil and scrolled down through the top searches.

By now a small crowd had formed around his desk including Tin-Tin and her father Kyrano. Tin-Tin gasped and clasped a hand to her mouth in horror.

'Oh no! Mr Tracy you can't possibly think Scott got caught up in that!?' She looked on the verge of tears. Virgil and Gordon's faces blanched whilst Kyrano tried to comfort Tin-tin. Alan sat down in shock. Brains stood at the edge of the lounge on standby, Kyrano had called for him when he realised something was wrong.

On the screen was the news anchor Ned Cook reporting on a freak storm which had battered and decimated several small tribal villages in the heart of the Amazon. It transpired that a hurricane had ripped through, the devastation clearly evident in the images of uprooted thousand-year-old trees, vines and bodies flung among the mass debris of wooden huts and rain forest. The scariest thing of all was the giant patches of upturned earth, literally stripped bare of all fauna and flora, of all signs of life. The camera quickly reverted back to the newsroom at the sight of the bodies.

Jeff looked grim. There would have been no outrunning that even with the fastest bird in the fleet. He also had another predicament; calls would not have been received by 5 and therefore it was highly likely that any calls for help from his son or the local area wouldn't have yet been received. They could be needed to rescue other people caught up in the disaster as well as his son.

'Right; Virgil, Alan, Gordon I want you to take off now; I will brief you in the air. Take the DOMO and Gordon take your diving gear just in case. We may need to help those people as well as search for Scott. I will make some calls see if we can get some assistance'.

'F.A.B' they called in unison as they raced for the side of the lounge where Virgil launched from and the elevator would take Gordon and Alan to the hangar.

'But Mr Tracy!' protested Tin-Tin. 'Who knows what they will find! Scott will need help!'

'No but's Tin-Tin, I need your skills here. We don't know how long this flare will affect communications, in the mean time I need you and Brains to focus on contacting Thunderbird 5 and viewing the satellite imagery, reports, maps, news coverage - any visuals we have that we can comb through to try and identify Scott's location.'

'Yes Mr Tracy' Tin-Tin replied obediently before hurrying to the lab with Brains. She was determined to find him and glad to have something to do or her anxiety would be in overdrive.

Kyrano had already returned with a strong whisky and placed it by Jeff's side. 'Try not to worry Mr Tracy, Scott is skilled and well trained. If anyone could make it through that storm, he could, I am sure'. He rested a reassuring hand on Jeff's shoulder.

'Thank you Kyrano I sure hope so'. Jeff gazed into the distance as he silently prayed for his son's safe return.


	3. Chapter 3

Conditions were getting rough but not the worst he had encountered. He maintained control through a particularly long period of turbulence that buffed the craft and shook Scott in his seat. 'Boy! sure is getting rough.'

He quickly assessed the scanners and to his shock realised that he was fast approaching the eye of a storm. The angry blue and green mass indicating the sheer size of the storm was alarming. Scott was no stranger to piloting in severe weather conditions but he knew this was no ordinary storm. It was a tornado! He frowned in concern, the only betrayal of his nerves. He could try and outrun it or he could shoot upwards and try and get above it, either way it was a crap choice not to mention perilous. He had only literally seconds to decide. He changed course and bolted off on full turbos, sweat starting to trickle across his forehead as he pushed her to the limit. By now he was hard pushed to maintain any sort of straight course. He was trying to climb up to get some height advantage but he was being pulled to the left, assaulted by a furious wind that wanted him to be taken with it. The sound of metal of the hull clunking under the sheer pressure as it was literally stripped off was terrifying. Scott knew that Thunderbird 5 was down from his previous contact with John, so he called the island on an open frequency.

'Thunderbird one to base!' He was literally shouting to be heard above the banging of debris hitting the bird, the howling crescendo of the wind which was now screaming at the height of its power. There was no reply 'Mayday! Mayday! Mayday! I'm caught in a Tornado force storm, coordinates -3.1019 Longitude: -60.0250. Thunderbird one, international rescue - first responder craft. One' – something big hit the Thunderbird, Scott felt the ricochet of the impact as it sent him into a tail spin. He cried out in shock as he was twisted over and over, all control finally lost, thrusters unresponsive and the sound of multiple alarms as his world came crashing down around him. The only thing left to do was brace as much as he could. Panic of not seeing his family again barely had time to register as he rotated over and over whilst being shaken and battered. He grabbed the emergency mask he had instinctively released and tried in vain to grab it. The shock waves and turbulence were so severe he bit his tongue and cheek several times. He could no longer tell if he was falling or rising in altitude, his body was under immense pressure, he was struggling to breathe and seeing stars before a violent hit to the head ended it all.

Scott gasped and catapulted forward from his slumped position, yelling. He slammed back against the hull unable to scramble his mind from his overwhelming physical response which was panic. Scott's mind screamed danger and yet his body wasn't responding! He was gasping like a fish out of water, the whites of his eyes on full view as he clutched at his chest and the pain radiating there. He was dying! Dying! He couldn't breathe! He couldn't stop it, couldn't stop thinking about the lack of air. As he thrashed around, he started to notice his surroundings for the first time, started to realise what the hell his body was doing. He needed to do some grounding exercises and fast! First, he felt for his IR badge on his sash, the indent of the pressed logo feeling smooth and cold as he reassuringly traced the line of the logo that was so familiar to him. The logo that represented international rescue to the world but to him meant his family and all they stood for together in memory of his mother. He focused on looking at his pilots' seat above him, un-moving and reassuringly stationary. The world slowly started to stop spinning until it was still. The light headiness was starting to subside. Lastly, he smelt the overwhelming smell of stale vomit but forced himself to take deep lungfuls of air. 'In. (Gasp)! 1,2,3 out (Choke) In 1,2,3 out 1,2,3' 'Oh God!' 'In 1,2,3….' He kept going as the tremors racking through him starting to still as he gained control of his senses. His chest started to regulate and his grip on the logo loosen slowly as he sank back against the metal. The pain near his heart still felt constant but was now a dull ebb rather than the sharp intense, stabbing it had been. He could feel his back was slick with sweat, the collar of his uniform was uncomfortably wet and tight as he tried to yank it back a bit.

He just sat there sprawled for a moment, thankful for the respite. Aware that he had just experienced his first panic attack from the unwelcome replay of his crash in his already fatigued mind. He suddenly realised he was overwhelmingly thirsty, his head throbbing with every heartbeat. He scrambled for the bottle he knew he had…some time before and ripped the lid off before greedily necking the cool, pure tasting water. It was like nectar, some of it escaping down his chin and soaking his front. He realised what he was doing and stopped immediately. He needed to conserve what he had. He screwed the lid back on firmly and carefully placed it within reach.

He just lay there. Too exhausted to do much, too overcome to think. 'I really should get up, I just…just don't know if I have it in me?' hmm.'

He looked up and realised the light was still on, which meant 12 hours had not yet passed, this he could take as good news and boy! did he need some of that! Next, he absently stared at the items strewn across his lap and surrounding floor. A glint of a bright red protein bar wrapper peaked out from in between his knees. He grunted with the effort as he dragged it towards him and tore into it. He was famished! He took a bite and savoured it, chewing for longer than required. He couldn't actually remember when he had last eaten. He knew he needed to maintain his already depleted reserves. Low blood sugar and dehydration were the last things he needed to add to his lengthy list of problems.

 _Mind you_ (he internalised) _my job is to problem solve under pressure; I can get a handle on this. Just treat it like a rescue. What do we know so far? What's the situation? What's already been done/tried? What additional measures can we take to protect the casualty? What don't we know? what should be doing?_ With these questions in mind he started to gain some rationality about his predicament.

He decided the first thing he must concentrate on was stabilising his own condition. Without back up or the ability to call for help he was very much on his own. He wasn't going to make it if he didn't look after himself So, with that in mind he did a stock take of his resources. The emergency pack they all kept on board had a first aid kit and food reserves to last 48 hours including water. Scott could make that last twice as long if he was careful. He had three 2 Litre water bottles which he had already had half a litre of. He still had a good supply of painkillers and now he had eaten decided to take another dose, he figured enough time had passed but only took half the dosage as a precaution. He sipped some more water conscious he had to replace the fluid he just lost. He also had a strong uncomfortable urge to relieve himself which forced him to stand. He tripped and staggered before leaning onto the edge of the craft for support. Ideally, he did not want to go inside TB1 but without functioning scanners he had no idea where he had landed and it was likely to be difficult to get out, thankfully they did have a portable toilet of sorts for when on remote rescues. He spied it tipped out on the floor further ahead and grabbed it. Luckily it was still intact which meant he could seal it up afterwards.

With that taken care of Scott gingerly walked over to where the hatch was. He pressed the button but the door didn't slide open. Was anything functioning? He sighed in frustration. He tried to manually push it open but on closer inspection he could see the frame had been impacted and compromised in the landing. 'Well the best thing you can do is stay with your ship if it's safe to do so, I guess you didn't want me leaving you' He patted the frame affectionately.

He would just have to hope wherever he landed would continue to hold up until rescue assistance arrived. His brothers would surely be looking for him now, his dad would be going spare calling all his contacts to hunt down his missing operative. Scott just had to hold on. The problem would come when the emergency generator failed as that's when the climate controls and his source of fresh oxygen would start to expire, meaning that the CO2 would start to build up in the cabin and become problematic… not to mention the temperature too. TB1 was advanced in the sense that when airborne she far accelerated the speed of most fighter jets but the advanced filter system meant he didn't need to wear a mask. He did still have a mask and tank as a back-up though (at his insistence) and for emergencies. He liked to be prepared and was used to using them back in the day. He saw it was still strapped to the back of his chair and looked to be intact. He remembered trying to get it on during the crash but thankfully he hadn't succeeded which meant there would still be a full tank. There were some small blessings to be had it seemed.

Next, he needed to check the structural integrity as much as he could from the inside. He started up at the front visually checking for any areas of concern. As he walked, he gently ran his hand along the top, walking with his head slightly ducked as the interior didn't quite allow him to stand at his full height. Some of the dents he discovered were impressive, it was testament to Brains engineering ability that the bird was still intact, lesser crafts would have been ripped open. It was the only reason why Scott was still alive. Scott got just over midway when he realised, he was descending just slightly. Whatever he had landed on was not completely horizontal. Scott didn't know how stable it was and didn't want to push his luck so retreated back towards the front.

He carefully slid back down to his resting place exhausted. He had done all he could for now, he just had to wait. It was a rare day indeed when Scott Tracy felt helpless but he couldn't see how he was going to get out of this. He wrapped himself in the foil blanket and began to shiver even though the cockpit was a comfortable temperature.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to those who have commented and left kudos so far :-) hopefully this updates ok as working on my phone due to tech issues.

Thunderbird two was cutting through the skies at full velocity, her pilot silently cursing the fact she wasn't as fast as her sister TB1 for once. He sat ram-rod straight against the red leather upholstery, his molten amber eyes locked straight ahead as he mulled over their current situation. His father had told him that their services were indeed needed to help the indigenous people. Some of them had taken shelter in a nearby cave system when the hurricane had hit and they had subsequently been entombed inside. Rescuers assured them that there were signs of life in there but their services were stretched to the limit and the terrain was too difficult for their teams to traverse in time. 

He had argued with his father for one of the rare few times in his life. Scott hadn't abandoned Virgil when he was shot down or when he had been blown out of the sky by the Hood. He wasn't about to abandon him in his time of need. His father said Scott would understand and would want him to assist the civilians first (Which Virgil knew was true) but God! It didn't make the order any easier to follow. The only consolation was he was to drop off Gordon at the last recorded Coordinates of Scott's location to begin the search on the ground with support from the GDF. Search and rescue wasn't usually their department but they owed his father a big favour and he had called it in. They were going to provide air support and feet on the ground, Gordon would oversee the operation. Alan and himself would just have to rescue these people ASAP then hop foot it to assist in the search as quickly as they were able.

As usual Virgil exuded a calm façade on the outside whilst internally churning over his orders and anxiety over his missing brother. Alan was being more than vocal about it. 'I just can't believe it! Scott's missing out there somewhere in god knows what condition and we have to go and assist this rescue first! Ordered by our father no less!' his brows were raised in indignation; his young wrinkle free skin bunched up above his nose, which they all knew only happened when Alan was royally pissed.

'I know its unbearable Alan but dad's right, there is no one in a better position to rescue these people and it's our duty.' Gordon tried to placate him.

'I know, I know... I just Don't like it! Not one bit! We prioritise rescues based on the most urgent need/ severity and I think a pilot crashing to earth mid hurricane with no location or contact, more urgent than people that have already been located by rescue teams and starting to put a plan together to get them out.' He looked over at Gordon.

'But that's the point Alan; we know where these people are and how we can get them out, which means there is a good chance of us completing it quickly. Also, more people make it a higher priority than one person; who to be fair has survival training and emergency skills that can aid him.' And Scott's situation meant there was a slim chance he would be found alive, Gordon thought darkly to himself but didn't voice it out loud as he didn't want to scare his youngest brother any more than he was. Gordon; although usually optimistic, was not naïve. He had been sent on these kind of retrieval missions before during his W.A.S.P service and had to bring back fallen comrades. It was most likely why his father had assigned him to the task and not his brothers. 'Hmm' Alan folded his arms in resignation.

'What's our E.T.A Virgil?' enquired Gordon.

'Approximately 5 minutes.' Gordon rose and placed a hand on Virgil's shoulder.

'I better go and get ready; I promise I will do my best to find him and I will call as soon as I have news'. Virgil nodded; he couldn't trust himself to saying anything else. Gordon affectionately ruffled Alan's hair on the way out, usually Alan hated it but he didn't protest this time.

Gordon watched as the shadow of thunderbird two shrunk above him, the colossal craft quickly becoming no more than a green streak in the sky as she jetted off. He shrugged the tanks up higher on his back and grabbed his kit bag before heading over to the four jeeps gathered in a decimated clearing ahead. In the distance he could hear the helicopters buzzing as they swept the area from above. The heat was stifling (despite the earlier storm) and he already felt himself begin to sweat in his wet suit, He swatted what appeared to be a mosquito with his spare hand. There was a group of ten to twenty GDF personnel and their commander who was briefing them on the operation. He was tall and of slim build but muscular with it. His sleeves were rolled up midway exposing his bronze arms, his dog tags suspended from his neck as he leaned over a holo-map. He looked up from the map and spied Gordon striding towards him. He extended a hand across the bonnet. 'I'm Captain Jones, you must be international rescue. I'm sorry to hear about your missing man. Its tough terrain but we'll do our best to find him. You can count on that'. The sincerity of his voice and steady eye contact convinced Gordon that he was in good hands.

'Thank you, we really appreciate it. What do we know so far?' Gordon enquired.

'Well have conducted a precursory sweep from above which has yielded no results but out here that doesn't mean a lot, the canopy is so deep it can be easy to miss sightings and then there is the river to consider which I assume is what you will be doing looking at your gear?' He glanced at Gordon who nodded an affirmation.

'We'll split up and cover quadrants in teams of four and systematically work our way across this zone looking for any trace and radio in if we locate any sightings. Captain Jones slid a radio across to Gordon who attached it to his belt. 'Anything else you can tell us that might aid us?'

'We last received contact at eleven hundred hours before we had a communications black out due to a solar flare. Our operative should have been returning home in a south westerly direction. The craft we are looking for is sliver in colour with thunderbird written on the side. It has a blue and white 1 located at the base near the fuselage so should be easily identifiable - even if damaged. There was one pilot on board at time she went missing. Whilst you guys concentrate on the forest perimeter and the air, I will dive at this location here'. Gordon pointed to the map 'My colleagues are currently rescuing some trapped civilian's nearby but as soon as they have completed the rescue, they will join us in the aerial search.'

'All right, you heard the man, let's roll out!' The captain motioned that they were dismissed. He turned to Gordon 'Good luck, there's some pretty savage things to be diving with out here! Watch your six.'

'I will'. Gordon walked between the trees to the water's edge, now the trucks had rolled out it was just him and mother nature. The damage from the storm was apparent at every turn. Jagged trunks jutted out of the ground in places where they had been snapped off, some trees had been lifted out all together and thrown across the canopy. Vines and shrubs were shredded, hanging limp from above. The usual chatter of insects and bird calls silenced. If Scott had survived it would be an absolute miracle and one that Gordon was desperately praying for. He pushed through the debris to reach the edge of the river bank. It was stifling despite the recent storm and the humidity was uncomfortable. He paused to clip on his gear and adjust his tanks. The captain wasn't wrong, diving in the amazon wasn't for the faint hearted. Black Caimans, Giant Anacondas and Piranhas were just a few of the dangerous predators you may bump into. Luckily Gordon had experience of diving here before from his W.A.S.P days and was quite confident he could handle himself.

'Thunderbird 4 to base' He would usually call 5 but thanks to the earlier solar flare he didn't know if John had got her back online yet and he really didn't want to be the one to break the current situation to his brother. 'Go ahead Thunderbird 4' Jeff's assertive timbre resonated through Gordon's wrist comm. 'GDF are working in quadrants on a ground and aerial search but have not found any signs so far. I am about to commence the water search at the last known coordinates.' Gordon scanned the water, looking for any nearby predators. 

'Gordon, I don't like you going in there alone -'

'I know Da- sir, what choice do we have? The air and land searches have turned up nothing so far and Yes; Virgil could take Domo home and swap her for Four after the rescue but we both know that would take too long. It's just a little sweep just to check there is definitely nothing under there. I'll be fine, Caimans don't scare me – well those mutant freaks back along almost did! Then there's the Anacondas, Electric Eels, Piranhas… But honestly, I'll be fine. Oooh there are Dolphins though! So, it's not all bad'. Gordon heard Jeff conversing with someone near his desk. He was also sure he heard him take a very big gulp of something. Probably necking the whisky, he kept in his desk, already trying to steady his nerves… not a good sign. 'Very well; but you'll maintain full commentary with Tin-Tin on this line so we know if you need assistance.' Jeff's tone did not allow for further discussion. 'And try not to get eaten by the wonderful fauna you have so vividly described to me.'

Gordon sighed dramatically 'F.A.B, welcome Tin-Tin to wild swimming in the amazon, narrated by…' Gordon could hear Tin-Tim emit an involuntary giggle.

The bank was too high to allow for a gentle submerge so he lowered himself, slipped in and gasped! 

'Oh my! Gordon are you ok?' Tin-Tin leant towards the comms in a panic.

'Yeah fine; just didn't have time to adjust to the temperature!' Now he had, it felt divine compared to the humidity above. Tin-Tin exhaled in relief 'Don't scare me like that Gordon, I was terrified you got eaten already!'.

'Sorry!' His eyes took a minute to adjust to the murk and gloom, he was going to have to be really careful, there was a lot of debris in here and the water quality was even more cloudy from the recent storm. He would be easy pickings in here for that list of predators who had probably taken refuge in here. He tried not to dwell on that thought. There really was a good chance that thunderbird one could have landed in here, this part of the river was deep enough for her to be fully submerged. He could have brought four (It was almost deep enough) and it probably would have been safer but they wouldn't have been able to fit her and the domo in the same pod and as he had explained to his father it would take too long to go back for her. Instead he had brought the small hydro-turbine with him that when held out in front allowed him to move at a quicker speed. He hoped that this would deter some of the predators as they would think it may damage them like a boat propeller. He remembered at that point that he should be talking to Tin-tin. 

'Hey Tin-tin no sign of anything of interest at the moment it's pretty murky in here I'm not sure I'm gonna find much'. He was now level with the river bed, sweeping to the left and right and remembering to check behind routinely. So far all he had come across was a couple of tree trunks and heavy looking branches. There were a couple of shadows on his periphery that he was certain were some creatures but for now they remained stationary so he pushed on. One hand was on his mini harpoon gun just in case. It had a fast-acting tranquiliser loaded in it, strong enough the pierce the underside of a Caiman/ or Anaconda skin - should he need it. Testament to Tin-tin, she was keeping quiet so he could concentrate on what was around him. Twenty precious minutes had passed already. He only had enough oxygen to last 60 minutes at most before he hit the reserve. The Amazon was 330ft deep at its deepest point which is pretty impressive for a river, thankfully the area he was searching at the moment was only 40ft. Still deep but manageable in comparison. Good news was at this deep he would be less likely to run into the reptiles that could only hold their breath for so long. He just needed to keep an eye out for the fish. 'God! it is so hard to see down here'. He was really hoping his brother was nowhere in here, his chances although still slim would be much better on land. Gordon caught sight of a massive shoal of freshwater fish that hurried past him, the sliver of their fins flickered like diamonds in the gloom. 

40 minutes had now passed, he was going to have to think about surfacing in the next 5 minutes or he would be on dangerous ground. 'I'm down to 40 minutes on my tank….' Just then he spied something on the river bed. 'Hang on a minute, what's this?' he pondered aloud, momentarily forgetting Tin-tin was on the line. He drew closer to the object that had caught his attention. It was large and would have been rectangle if not bent and contorted. It was a dull grey and slightly curved. His heart dropped into his stomach as he paused and stopped the hydro. Had to use both hands to turn the crumpled metal and grunted and strained with the effort, kicking up a huge dust cloud as he did. 

'What is it Gordon?' his dad was back on the line, Tin-Tin must have notified him that Gordon had found something. As the water cleared Gordon swore; a grim expression etched on his face as he wiped the silt away with a gloved hand to reveal the white B on the silver metal. 

'It's a panel from Thunderbird one'.


	5. Chapter 5

John's legs protruded out from under the console, lilac trimmed boots scuffing on the floor as he struggled to gain purchase. His left calf was starting to cramp unbearably. There was much clanking and swearing as he extracted himself from underneath, followed by a groan. His uniform was stripped to the waist with the arms tied around his slender hips, the white vest underneath damp around the neck. His exposed collarbones gleamed with perspiration; arm muscles strained as he gave one last pull on the edge of the desk to extract himself. His hands covered in a myriad of little scratches from grappling in hard to reach places to obtain the wiring he was trying to examine. Although he had been protected from the worst of the storm by Thunderbird 5, she had sustained some external damage which in turn had shorted out his communications. He had already been out to repair that little problem before starting on this one. It had definitely not been an easy day so far. This was his third attempt at fixing the damn thing. He straightened up with a groan and flicked his hair back out of his face. He saw the panel had power which was an excellent start. He pressed the button. Static…then a burst of communications, voices, languages a whirl of noise. It was music to his ears. He dropped the pliers and wrench on the floor with a dull thud. Yes! he slammed down into his chair with a mixture of jubilation and relief. He grabbed his water nearby and took a sip, wiping his brow as he did so. He took a minute to just listen. The silence had been unnatural for the control room which was always alive with the broadcast of thousands of communications being monitored across earth and space at any one time. John closed his eyes and let his mind drift for a moment, he hadn't stopped in the last three hours knowing how vital it was to receive communications again. They couldn't afford to miss even one distress call when the world relied on them to help when all hope was lost.

His mind began to distinguish the different streams of data, conversations, snippets of reports. A wild fire in Australia drew his attention, until he heard the fire chief state that they had it under control. A volcano eruption in Japan, he tensed and concentrated on the conversation….and relaxed. A deep male voice reported that everyone had been evacuated to safety and they were continuing to monitor the situation. One to keep an eye on though John thought to himself so he added the frequency to his priority list on his tablet so he could check in again later. John shook his head to himself 'So this is your idea of a break Johnny?' he smiled, he couldn't help it he loved his job and it brought a whole different kind of meaning to full time. Always alert, always on call on earth or in space it never stopped for him and that's the way he liked it.

'Base to Thunderbird 5' John broke out of his reverie. 

'This is Thunderbird 5 receiving you loud and clear' John replied with a grin pleased at the morning's accomplishments. Now for the big test. 'Do you receive me; Over?

'Copy that' Jeff replied swiftly. The video link flickered into life. John smiled pleased with his work but that faltered when he saw his father's face.

'Is something wrong Father?' John's full attention was on his father's face which was creased with worry. Had his father really been that worried by the communications black out? They'd had longer ones before; no this was something else. His Dad suddenly looked much older than his fifty odd years. He looked downright beaten.

'Dad?' John was really worried now.

Jeff wiped a hand across his mouth in a resigned manner. 'Son, I'm not sure how to tell you this… I' he tried to compose himself. He needed John on his game to help coordinate the rescue whilst Jeff focused on the search, he was struggling to juggle both as well as trying to raise communications with Thunderbird 5 every ten minutes. Jeff wasn't sure if John would be up to it after this news but he couldn't withhold it from him, it wouldn't be fair. He decided to get to the point there and then.

'You know Virgil and Gordon got home just before the flare but Scott was still out?' John nodded not wanting to interrupt his father. 'Well unbeknownst to us there was a tornado and…well it appears Scott was caught up in it – '.

'WHAT!' John jumped up like he was electrified. 'Is he ok? Did he make it?' Several unspoken questions continued to frame in his mind, each worse than the last.

'We don't know; he's missing John. Thunderbird one and all. We were a little delayed in hearing about it thanks to the communication issues but we have the GDF and Gordon searching for him now. Virgil and Alan are caught up on a rescue near the hurricane zone where some local people that have survived the onslaught of the storm are caught in a cave in.' Jeff paused watching John process the information. It was heart-breaking and he hated not being able to physically comfort his son. John had slumped back in his chair, his earlier euphoric mood seemed like light years ago. Now he was just…. Hollow.If he had got the communications and scanners fixed sooner, he could have warned him. He would have seen the hurricane on the satellite feeds. Jeff knew where his son's mind was heading.

'John, don't torture yourself. This was beyond your control, I should have been monitoring from here, I should have checked in with him sooner' Jeff sighed. He would never forgive himself. John stared at him, the corners of his eyes burning. 'No, your right dad, this was beyond both our control. You wouldn't have had access to the satellites down there like I do.' He swallowed. 'So, what can I do?'

He looked so dejected and alone that it reminded Jeff painfully of a much younger upset John on another day in the past that had ended in family trauma. 'I need you to take control Virgil and Alan's rescue so I can concentrate on the search for Scott but only if you are up to it. I completely understand if not.'

John responded without hesitation 'Fill me in on the details and I'll get started'.


	6. Chapter 6

This rescue had been a nightmare from the off. Virgil wished that he didn't have to take the lead on this one but with Scott missing and John uncontactable, he had just been propelled up the hierarchy. He didn't mind taking the lead on a mission; in fact, he relished the opportunity on the rare occasion but it was the fact that his brothers were incapacitated and their safety unknown that put him on edge. It didn't help that they had seen the damage of the storm first hand. He had been kidding himself all the way over that Scott would be ok… but looking at this scene of destruction…it was enough to crush any one's hope and faith. The rescue teams around them were still retrieving the dead and the injured from underneath the remaining structures and undergrowth. Even in the few hours they had been here, they were increasingly pulling out more dead than alive victims. Some of them injured beyond recognition. There was shouting and rescue dogs scouting the area for signs of life, wading through the mud, branches and floodwater that surrounded them. The mud was everywhere, deep thick sludge. The kind you could lose a boot in. Virgil and Alan were already covered in mud up to the waist after jumping straight in to help pull two young children out from under a colossal tree trunk. Alan had then commandeered operating the DOMO to lift the boulders, rocks and debris that had filled the cave entrance. They had no idea how many civilians were in there or what condition they were in. They had been making excellent progress quickly clearing the entrance, until the second cave in hit. Virgil yelled for rescuers to move out of the way, people scattering in a multitude of directions. The water brought in with the storm had weakened the surrounding earth far more than they could have imagined. Right now, they were going for a second attempt. Virgil was on standby for as soon as the way was clear. It was taking too long! He was worried for the people in there and his brother, time was slipping away. The longer a rescue went on the shorter the chances of a successful outcome. His macabre thoughts were interrupted with an incoming transmission.

'Thunderbird 5 to Thunderbird 2 come in.' Vigil sighed. At last! Some good news.

'Hey John it's great to have you back, the airways aren't the same without you. I'm glad your safe.' Virgil looked worn down and filthy as his picture came into view.

'It's good to be back, I'm just sorry it took me so long…. Base filled me in on everything including Scott. Base has asked me to take over here, what can you tell me Virgil?' John wanted this done, then they could talk about their brother's rescue away from prying ears and get to him as quick as possible.

'We still haven't identified how many people could be in that cave with the obvious language barriers and the fact that a lot of the indigenous population are still unknown here in this region, there's no censuses or other data to go on. Alan is operating the DOMO and we were making great progress until 5 minutes ago when there was another cave in that re-blocked the passage again, thankfully no one had gone in yet and we were trying to warn people on the other side to stay away.' Virgil looked up as something caught his attention. 'looks like we are about to break through again'.

'Ok you go and help Alan shore up that entrance, just put me in touch with the officer in command there and I will square the language issue and explain what's happening.' John was trained in several languages but the coding programme he had written to translate and de-cipher transmissions up on 5 did most of the hard work.

'F.A.B'

Alan had just cleared the entrance again. He dared not move anymore in case it collapsed again! Instead he deployed the anti-gravity grabs to the top of the entrance and locked them in at the angle Brains had recently recommended to him. So far so good but they were going to have to be quick. Thankfully the task had been so complex and intensive it had distracted him well from Scott's predicament. Sure, it was ever constant at the back of his mind but that was all this rescue allowed for. One mistake and more people could die. It was quite the responsibility.

Virgil was outside placing additional supports in to shore the entrance with a couple of helpers.

'Ok Alan.' Virgil looked through the window up to him. 'I'm going in with the rescue teams, your job is to monitor this entrance and warn us the moment you see, feel or suspect its wavering. 'F.A.B Virgil'. His brother signaled to the waiting first responder's as they scouted further ahead. Luckily it appeared that the internal rock was igneous not like the sedimentary rock that formed the first six to eight foot of the entrance. It meant there was less likely to be cave in's further down the line. So, it should be clear. If not then they may need to try and deploy the mole but that would be risky considering they had no exact location as to where the people were. Alan maintained the monitoring of the grabs and the pressure being exerted on the machine. Glancing ahead occasionally to monitor signs of activity from the tunnel beyond. It had only been ten minutes since Virgil went in but it seemed like an eternity. Now he was waiting, his thoughts were beginning to assault him anew. He was anxious about how long Scott had been missing it was coming up to almost four hours since last contact and there had been no updates, no new information. It's not like Thunderbird one was a shrinking violet, she was large and despite the secrecy a very identifiable craft. He didn't want to believe the worst had happened, Scott had been in plenty of his own scrapes before; he had been shot down in the air force once and his co-pilot died but he somehow survived with no more than broken ribs. He had even been shot down in Thunderbird one over the desert and only sustained a minor head injury. He knew his brother wasn't invincible but he sure seemed like it! Especially when Alan was young. He would never admit it but he always wanted to be like Scott who seemed so daring and confident. Alan knew now that most of this was bravado which was a skill he had learned himself; in time. Alan at the moment was also secretly terrified he was going to watch Virgil get buried alive but if you worried about every rescue there would be nothing left of you, he thought. Did he just detect movement? He leaned forward to peer out of the top of the windscreen and paused momentarily surveying the entrance…. No false alarm. He settled back into his seat in relief.

Virgil had traversed his way further into the abyss. Luckily inside was a cavern almost tall enough to stand in at full height after the initial narrow entrance. His light lit up the way ahead with a bright, white glow. It wasn't long until they came to the first group of people. The rescuers with him ran over to the people and started to talk swiftly. One of them was visibly unconscious and one had been impaled in the chest with what looked like… a stake? Must have been collateral from the hurricane. The other five people he could see looked relatively unscathed. Virgil quickly stepped in to apply pressure to the wound whilst the medic concentrated on bandaging the surrounding area to support the foreign body so it would reduce further damage which could be caused during transit. Virgil then felt a furious tapping on his shoulder. A young, thin man dressed in very little (with a serious looking head wound) was failing his arms wildly, shouting and pointing to the back of the cavern. The blood was gushing down the side of the man's face and onto his bare chest. Virgil tried to get him to sit down but he refused trying to pull Virgil to the back of the cave by his sleeve. One of the rescuers came over and tried to calm him, speaking fast and concisely before turning to Virgil. She looked worried. 'He…speaks…says… people.' she pointed back and forcibly down. Virgil suspected what she was getting at and nodded. He cautiously side stepped to the end of the cave, holding his light high to cast maximum exposure. Walking slowly and with a feeling in that made his stomach turn, he came to a black hole in the floor and as he bent closer shined the light down to see a young girl calling up to him. Another woman lying prone at her feet surrounded by a halo of a dark substance that glistened in his light. They were some 15 feet below. The girl was sobbing uncontrollably, her utter distress obvious as her eyes pleaded with him for help. 'It's OK, I'm going to get you out of there'. Virgil meant it; he wasn't losing anyone else today. He raised his watch comm under his chin, whilst holding a hand out in a clear stance that communicated to the others to stay back. 'John, Alan… we have a problem'.


	7. Chapter 7

Scott was starting to climb the walls, the only reassurance was that he still had emergency power. It could just be in his mind but he could swear it was getting dimmer. His head was still banging, but thankfully the nausea had subsided some time ago. There was also an agonising pain in the side of his chest that made him suspect a cracked or at least badly bruised rib or two. He had tried to find ways to keep himself busy (It was in his nature), despite the pain he had done a couple more cautious walks along the hold and retrieved his toolkit to have a dig at his wrist comm to see if he could salvage it but after what seemed like an age he gave up as he realised it needed soldering. He tried his lighter in a last-ditch attempt but it wasn't hot enough for the job and nearly empty. He also burned the crap out of his hands from trying to hold it for so long. What he wouldn't do for a cigarette right now! So now, he was sat morosely munching on another tasteless protein bar, desperately racking his brain for other options and coming up blank. He scrunched up the empty wrapper and ditched it across from him, hissing as the movement triggered a new wave of pain.

He wasn't used to this much alone time and it was rattling him. Sure, he may have leadership qualities and great problem-solving abilities but he was very much a team player and needed his family or his comrades to bounce those ideas off or to spur him into action in some way. He was used to sharing his personal space with his unit, his co-pilot or his family at home. He had never actually lived on his own even at uni. Here it was just him and he had never felt so utterly alone. He missed Virgil's calming presence, John's factual confidence, Alan's risk taking and Gordon's playfulness. Most of all he missed his Dad who was always on call, always there to provide counsel. He missed teasing Tin-Tin and Kyrano's astute company. He missed badgering Brains about the latest upgrade plans he had for his bird. Scott sighed audibly.

His thoughts wandered to Rose. Two years ago, she literally leapt into his life when she saved him from a bullet to the head on what should have been a routine rescue. His father was so impressed with her actions that he had hired her as an additional UK based agent who now specialised in working with the Met, MI5, Interpol and other agencies to identify possible terrorist attacks aimed specifically at international rescue, so they would be better prepared and hopefully able to thwart them in time. They had quickly become fast friends. Time and distance didn't seem to matter for them, they had so much in common and when he was with her it just felt…. right. He could just be himself. He had been over to hers a couple of times on vacation and she to the island. They had virtual movie nights every Friday (Rescue permitting), where they hooked up on a video call and reviewed their latest viewings with each other and picked apart the same films and TV shows with glee. Everyone told him they could see the connection between them but he always insisted they were just good friends but deep down he knew that wasn't true. He adored her. He loved her boldness, her sarcastic British wit and the way she was brutally honest with him. Her compassion and kindness knew no bounds. She could also out pace him in stubbornness...... which was quite the feat. He hadn't pitched her against Alan yet but he was pretty confident she could even make him back down. A smile ghosted his face briefly. He hadn't admitted his feelings for her because he knew she loved the freedom of living on her own terms, she had a support network of family and friends that he knew he couldn't ask her to sacrifice for him. For the first time living on the island seemed like a burden. Asking someone to up-heave their life to come and live with you, your four siblings and father on a remote island was a big ask. Realistically he couldn't see how their relationship would last with the commitments they both had. Sitting here lost and solitary, he had realised his mistake. If he died now, what legacy was he leaving behind? Ex-Air force captain, Son of a billionaire, second in command of his Father's enterprise. Thirty odd-year-old bachelor, no spouse, no children. Lived a sheltered life with his father and brothers after his mother died. Was that how he wanted to be remembered? Sure, his family would miss him more than words could express but only they knew the real him, his true-life achievements. Rose would just refer to him as a dear friend, she would never know the true depth of his feelings, how much he cared for her. That he loved her more than anyone he had ever met. He wouldn't have a chance to discover if she felt the same. All because he didn't want to risk the friendship, the relationship he already had. He didn't want to lose her if he got rebuked because it would hurt too much. Make their closely linked working relationship awkward and damaged beyond repair. Now his chest ached because he could truly lose her. He made a vow that if he got out of here alive, he would tell her, he would tell her everything.

He was still sitting pressed in the curve of Thunderbird one's hull when was forced to quit his musings. He tensed and cocked his head closer to the panel. He heard slow scraping of metal and could have sworn he felt a slight shift in the reinforced steel below him. Silence…. There it was again! A definite slow but obvious slipping sound. It seemed where ever he had landed was no longer secure. He felt a seeping coldness spread from his chest at the fear of falling intensifying in him again. He didn't have time to react, didn't want to move lest he make the situation more precarious. The whole craft creaked and scraped, listing to the front as it did so, the sound of harshly pitched shrieking of strained metal building in intensity before the Thunderbird lurched and plummeted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are about half way though now, thank you so much for the views and Kudos :-)


	8. Chapter 8

Gordon was still looking dumbstruck at the wreckage he had stumbled upon, his Dad's voice coaxing him back to the present. 'Well Gordon, can you see anything else?'

'No sir, not at the moment. My air is at breaking point, let me just scout ahead a little and I'll get out.' Gordon was already pushing forward at maximum speed. Surely there had to be other signs. He kept expecting to see TB1 sunk on the riverbed in front of him but there was nothing yet.

'Very well, but be careful Gordon, I'll hand you back over to Tin-Tin whilst I check in with the GDF'.

'Gordon? do you think it could have just been caught up with the storm and tossed in to the river rather than TB1 being in there?' A single silent tear slid down her face as she held on tightly to the desk.

'I sure hope so Tin-Tin, I sure hope so…' Gordon pressed onwards. He literally had minutes left but he didn't want to give up, he felt sure he was closing in on his brother's location despite the fact that the storm could have deposited debris from miles away. He pushed on at a rate of knots but the visibility was so poor down here he could barely see his hands in front of him at points. It was a miracle he had found the panel in the first place. He started to climb, the natural light becoming brighter as he neared the surface. He was almost there when he jumped and gasped, pausing as a black shadow streaked over the top of him. He stopped and waited as what could only be described as a giant serpent coiled and wound its way above him. His eyes tracked her in wonder, what a beauty! She was as thick as a small child in circumference and at least 20ft long, thankfully she ignored him and continued on her path. It was amazing they didn't sink and they were so graceful in the water too.

'Is Everything ok?' Tin-Tin enquired.

Gordon had forgotten she was still there 'Err… yep! just a colossal Anaconda but it seems she has other priorities.

'I wish I hadn't asked, that sounds positively terrifying'. Tin-tin shuddered.

Gordon smiled 'Ah she wasn't so bad not many of them left now, in different circumstances she would be an absolute treat to study. I'm breaking the surface now'. With a splash he pushed up through and hovered on the spot, bobbing in the choppy current. The river was more powerful here then where he had entered. He looked around for any signs of a crash or other indicator that would point at TB1 having been here. Then he noticed a distinct but faint roaring in the distance. The river meandered off to the right and the vegetation was dense here, despite the storm damage so he couldn't see any further. He decided to push on around the corner, glad that he had brought the hand held hydrofoil to help push against the current. As he propelled forwards, Gordon quickly rounded the corner the noise intensified like the volume had just been turned up tenfold. The roaring and gushing was water dropping from a cliff face waterfall. Gordon was now seriously struggling to maintain his pace with the current and exhausting dangerously quick so he dragged himself to the nearest bank on the left and heaved himself onto some rocks jutting out of the rapids. He hauled up the foil, panting with the effort. He then threw off his tank in relief and rolled his shoulders. Technically he wasn't meant to dive for as long as he did on missions as it increased the strain on his old back injury and the doctor had warned him it could lead to shortening his career/ ability to dive in the future. Not that his family knew that with the cover of patient/doctor confidentiality. Gordon and Brains had been working on a prototype tank that was two thirds lighter than its current competitors on the market and Gordon was banking on it as his salvation.

He turned around to face the magnificent waterfall and take in the surrounding area whilst working out the kinks. Nothing obvious caught his attention until he looked to the top of the waterfall, which he had to crane his neck to do so as it was still some distance off. Something shone brightly catching his eye as it glinted like a precious gemstone. It was peaking out under the canopy of some trees on what appeared to be an island of land with water cascading down either side. He scrambled for his binoculars from his utility belt and popped the case. It took him a minute to adjust the lenses and work out where he wanted to focus. As he panned across, he caught the light again. He stood stock still in terror and scrambled for his comms.

'Base are you still there?' His voice was pitched with anxiety.

'Yes Gordon' replied Tin-Tin and Jeff in unison. Jeff had been hovering since the news of the panel and was concerned by his son's tone. It took a lot to rattle Gordon.

Gordon yelled, Heart in his mouth as he saw TB1 list forwards and scrape a few feet forward. His hands went to behind his head as he watched in horror. He wasn't aware he had stopped breathing until TB1 stopped moving.

'GORDON!' yelled Jeff and Tin-Tin.

'You need to scramble two here like…like now! I've found Thunderbird one but she's balanced on a knife edge over a 200 odd foot waterfall. She just slipped forwards but thankfully has stopped again, but I'm telling you Dad she's going to be at the bottom here with me sooner rather than later.' Gordon couldn't take his eyes off the bird now he had located her. As if she wouldn't fall anymore provided he didn't turn his back on her.

'Ok son, give us your coordinates and we will get two there now. Update the GDF for me and see what tactical support they can provide.' Gordon relayed his location as Brains scribbled the coordinates and immediately got them ready to relay to john so they could get full satellite imagery of the area. Jeff was already calling Five.

'Ok; but dad hurry…. please'.


	9. Chapter 9

We have a problem' Virgil transmitted.

'Hold on Virgil' John appeared to be communicating with someone else. As Virgil was communicating with both John and Alan simultaneously it was audio only but he could tell by John's tone it was important.

'Well then we have two problems. Good news is Thunderbird one has just been located. Bad news is we need to dispatch Thunderbird two immediately if we want to save her from a swan dive down a 150ft waterfall'

'WHAT?!' Alan and Virgil called in unison.

'You heard me; I need two There now. What's your problem Virgil can it wait?'

'No; there is a young girl and a severely wounded woman – maybe even fatally. In a 15-foot-deep crevasse in the cave and we're running out of time'. Virgil calmly replied, despite feeling his blood pressure starting to creep up exponentially. He made a promise to the girl but now Scott's life potentially hung in the balance.

'I'll go get the girl and the wounded woman you take two and go and rescue Scott'. Alan had all but jumped out of the DOMO and started sprinting for the climbing gear in the pod.

'Hold on.' Said John. 'Can't the rescue teams complete the operation?'

'No. There is no one in this team experienced in caving and the entrance will collapse if we remove the DOMO. Alan you take two and I'll finish up here'. Virgil was already walking out of the cave with the first wave of rescued casualties.

'Are you crazy!' Exclaimed Alan. 'You can pilot two with your eyes shut, your skills would be better suited rescuing Scott'.

'No. We both know you can handle her and one just as well as you do three. You are more than capable and I am the more experienced at abseiling and climbing.' Virgil's tone signalled it was final. He had made a promise to that girl, he wasn't going to leave her. As much as it pained him to leave Scott, he was sure he would understand and Alan really did have the skills to pull it off, he was one of the youngest adults to obtain his pilot licence in the last century, much to the awe of his family. When it came to flying he was just as gifted as he was driving.

'Fine. Alan get going, Virgil get your gear. We'll arrange to pick you up after the rescue.' John didn't even sign off in his haste to update the others.

Virgil was now grabbing the gear off Alan who gave him one last pleading look. Virgil shook his head 'Go! I know you can do it. I have complete faith in you, I'll find a way to meet up ASAP and I'm on the line if you need me'.

Alan gulped and nodded. 'Just you be careful in there it could collapse at any time and I won't be here to monitor it. Watch yourself'. With that Alan sprinted for Thunderbird two's cock pit.

Virgil quickly stepped into his gear and poked his head through the DOMO's cabin window to check the current pressure levels. For now, it was holding out and the readings were still good. Virgil's comm bleeped again. 'I have communicated your rescue plans and our current situation to the commander in charge. They are going to have people watch the entrance and will be on standby to receive the casualties' as soon as you call. I'll be monitoring the data from the DOMO remotely so I should be able to give you fair warning'.

'F.A.B' thanks John.

Virgil finished strapping on a helmet and headed back into the dark enclosed cavern. As he neared the abyss he looked over, the little girl was still there but she was quiet now, clinging to the rock with her forehead pressed against it.

'Hey!'. She carefully tilted her head upwards and called out but Virgil couldn't understand her.

He hoped he could see her hand gestures as he spoke slowly and clearly. 'I'm coming down to get you both'. Just then he almost jumped out of his skin as the female rescuer who tried to translate for him earlier appeared at his side. She was very petite, athletic build, with Dark raven hair scrunched back under her helmet and beautiful dark almond eyes. 'You can't be in here, it's not safe. Leave it to me, I'll manage'.

'You can't do this on your own. Let me help. It will be speedy'.

'Quicker?'. Virgil supplied, She smiled and nodded.

'Ok but if I say leave or go you go'. She nodded in understanding.

'What's your name?'

'Amira'

'Thank you for your help Amira, I'm Virgil' he smiled at her warmly.

It would make it easier with her assistance as she would be able to send the holo stretcher down after him along with the kit so he would have more freedom to move and get the girl back up more easily. He would just have to be quick so as not to endanger her any more than necessary. He carefully sunk a stake into the ground and tested its hold before attaching his safety line. He pulled on it again with his weight, satisfied it would hold. He then started to abseil downwards the only light being emitted from his helmet torch. No wonder the poor girl was so terrified! ILt was darker than the night in here and he had no idea whether they were located on a ledge in a large chasm or the bottom of the pit or how stable it was. He continued to gently bounce down the side, distributing his weight as evenly as he could but occasionally slipping on loose dirt which gave him a shock of adrenaline despite knowing he was safely secure.

He drew level with the girl and tried to step onto the ledge but quickly realised how short it was. His feet took several attempts to find purchase and he had to remain as tight as he could to the side. The girl looked to be around 10-14 years and she clung to the wall in fear, hugging it as tight as she could. 'Hi, I'm Virgil from international rescue'. He took one hand off the rope and pointed to his chest before then pointing at her 'You?'

'Catori'. The girl replied nervously, hands still clenched to the wall.

'Ok Catori. I need you fit you with this to lift you up.' ⁶He pointed at the harness in his hand and the one he was wearing before pointing back at her.

She shook her head and buried her face in her hair. She was terrified. Virgil shouted up to the Amira above. 'Do you think you could explain? I need her in this harness'.

'Ok'

Amira spoke rapidly but compassionately imploring the girl to let Virgil put the harness on and that Virgil could be trusted; he was there to help.

The girl peeked at Virgil again and nodded slowly. He smiled at her reassuringly. 'It's ok I do this all the time, you'll be safe'. Virgil gently dropped the harness over her head and secured it just above her waist gently and slowly tightening the straps so as not to spook her. He then double checked the connection points and Carabiner's and gave her the thumbs up hoping she kind of understood.

'Could you let her know she needs to let go now and you will pull her up and I will be right next to her to help'.

Amira once again spoke quickly. The little girl panicked and cried out looking towards the unconscious woman on the ledge. 'She's afraid for her grandmother, she's… she's all she has left. She saw her brothers get taken by the storm'.

'Tell her I promise I will come back for her'. He looked at the girl as he said this. She looked back at Virgil with tears brimmed in her eyes. She cocked her head to listen to Amira before she shouted to her again.

'She says ok' Amira translated.

Amira gently put tension on the line so Catori could feel it. Virgil then started to show her what to do with her hands and feet. Initially she slipped and panicked but she had moved to a better position and Virgil was able to grab her. He managed to shuffle her onto his back. Virgil figured this was for the best, the girl was so petrified he was surprised she had moved at all. She clung on,

grateful for something solid. Thankfully he was incredibly strong, the girl felt no heavier than a large kit bag. Amira saw what had happened and corrected her stance before continuing to monitor the safety ropes. It took time but eventually he scrabbled on to the lip of the hole with Amira's help and the girl still on his back. She was coaxed off by Amira and Virgil rolled over onto his back trying to get his energy back. Then all of a sudden, he felt this small bundle collide into his side as the little girl hugged him fiercely. She let go and stood back sheepishly as Virgil got up. He smiled and gave her the thumbs up with 'Your welcome'. Amira radioed and another first responder came in to escort her to safety as Virgil eased over the edge again.

His descent was quicker this time as he was more aware of his route. He tentatively stepped one foot onto the ledge near the woman and when he was confident it would hold his weight, he eased onto the ledge fully and gently crouched near the woman. She was face up with her eyes closed. Virgil checked her pulse. It was there but incredibly weak. She had lost a lot of blood from a head wound to the base of her skull. He opened her eyes and flashed the torch across but they were unresponsive. She looked to be in a coma. This was bad. He had to move her and it was likely she had spinal injuries. First, he secured her neck in a brace before then ever so gently slipping under her shoulders a small slim board no bigger than your average computer tablet with a wire attached. When he pressed the small button on the wire, the board slowly expanded into a full spinal board underneath her. He then quickly threaded the straps through that would completely immobilize the patient during transit. Luckily the ledge was just wide enough to be able to slip the holo stretcher under her. It had two safety lines attached in case of failure which could be manually operated if the holo failed. He deftly fastened the stretcher straps across her too. Then with a button on his wrist he started to raise her upwards. Amira peered over anxiously. Satisfied the casualty was nearly there Virgil started to climb.

'Virgil'

'Yes John'

'Virgil you need to get out of there ASAP. I can see on the scans here that a tremor has just been detected at the entrance.'

Virgil could hear a tell-tale rumble and some of the rocks from above as they started to patter on his helmet. 'On it!' Virgil grunted. He increased his speed, grappling with the protruding rockface, he glanced up and could see the stretcher had reached the top just as he crawled back over the edge. He disengaged the safety line and scrambled to his feet.

'Run!' Was all he had time to shout at Amira as he navigated the holo stretcher between them. They both sprinted down the narrow pathway, desperately trying not to trip and using the stretcher as a prop to counter balance themselves. Rocks were cascading down now, some of them as big as watermelons, they had to make it! Virgil could see the light at the entrance and the DOMO struts shaking under the pressure as they swiftly passed under them. As they did so Amira tripped right by the entrance and fell to her knees, rocks thumping around her and onto her outstretched leg. She screamed in pain.

'Amira!' two rescuers relieved him of the stretcher so he dived back and scooped her up before heaving her into a fireman's lift and staggering around the pile of boulders that had now collected. He managed to get her to safety just before he turned around to see one of Domo's struts give way with a creaking and crumpling of snapped metal.

He gently set Amira on the floor she was sobbing in pain 'Thank you, thank you!' she cried. He rested a hand on her shoulder and gently laid her down.

'You're welcome, now let me see this leg'. She nodded, tears leaving tracks in the reddish-brown dust on her face. Virgil didn't have to assess her injury; he could see the compound fracture at her shin from where he was level with her waist. The bone was quickly clearly protruding. A Couple of ET's came over and started to stabilize her. 'Your going to be ok' Virgil smiled as he stepped back, satisfied she was being well attended to. He looked across and saw the girl wrapped in a blanket, holding onto her grandmothers' hand as it hanged limply from the stretcher. They were awaiting the air ambulance which he could hear in the distance. He quickly crossed the clearing to where she was stood. She looked at him solemnly as he approached. He crouched to her level and pulled his hat from his back pocket, removing the IR symbol. He gently took her free hand and placed it in her palm and folded her hand around it.

'Calling thunderbird 5'

'Go ahead Virgil'

'John, I need you to give me access to the translator for a second so I can speak to the little girl I just rescued'.

'Sure thing, Go ahead'.

'Things are going to be tough for a while for you and I know you are probably scared about the future…. I just wanted you to know how brave you were down there. You did well to shout for help, we wouldn't have found you otherwise. I want you to have this and if you feel scared or alone you look at this and remember how brave you were down there in that dark, empty place and that there will always be people that can help you, if you seek it'.

She squeezed it tight in her fist and nodded. He gave her one light reassuring squeeze on the shoulder before he rose and waved good bye. He watched her get on the chopper with the ET's, his hair being blown back from his face as he held a hand up to shield his eyes.

'John, any news on Scott' Virgil looked into his comms with his brows furrowed in worry. John could see how filthy Virgil was with smudges and streaks of dirt all over his face, his sash was partially ripped at the top.

'Alan's just arrived on scene. Base will update us with more news presently. I'm on standby'.

'Ok, well I'm done here'.

'That's good because your lift's arrived'.

Virgil looked across to see a GDF carrier had already landed and was lowering its ramp.

'Perfect!' Virgil jogged over to meet the pilot and crew.


	10. Chapter 10

Scott had no idea what the hell was happening! One minute it had been fine, the next minute he's nearly been tipped down the bottom of the cabin like a salt shaker. His reflexes were pretty poor in his current condition but he had managed to scrabble and hold on to one of the struts that stuck out of the framework. He was barely holding on thanks to the excruciating pain that flared around his ribs and collarbone, it was a struggle not to black out again.

He yelled in agony hissing through his teeth as he was yanked backwards. His finger-tips grappled desperately at the thin lip of metal which started to slice the delicate crease of skin at the the top of his fingers. The Thunderbird was listing dangerously on what felt like a tipping pendulum. Scott's extended body, swinging in time as he dangled freely. Luckily by some miracle it stopped as quickly as it started. The bird tipped back to her original position smacking Scott back into the frame with a dull thud. He remained semi-upright clinging on for dear life. He daren't move, so he stood panting weakly, pressed against the metal shell for dear life. 'Damn-it'!

He risked a look over his shoulder and discovered all of his supplies had crashed to the end of the cabin near the thrusters and what was already the heaviest section of the craft, was tipping out of control. He knew he couldn't retrieve them. Whatever had happened to where he had landed had just become a lot more precarious. He prayed to god someone would turn up soon, he had no idea where he was or what time it was but he knew he was running out of lives. He couldn't hold on forever, not in this condition. All it would take would be for him to faint or go to sleep and he could be gone. He also knew that not being restrained in a seat was potentially going to kill him. That little practice fall had given him an insight as to how the forces would fare on his body in freefall.

He looked up, his pilot's seat was going to be nigh on impossible to scrabble back into with his injuries and the seats in the cargo bay were fold out only. Trying to fold one out from below and then scramble into it was also a ridiculous proposal. He looked across the hold, searching for options…of course! The cargo nets! Just past the two seats there was some really strong webbing on the side of the cabin (Thick industrial grade nylon wire) that was used to store additional equipment on occasion. It was secured tightly and you had to put some tension on it before you could slip stuff inside, a bit like the pockets on the back of flight seats or trains. If he could scrabble into that he would be as secure as he could get. By this point nothing was considered crazy in his mind. He grunted as he reached up and pulled the rim of the netting away from the shell of the craft. He then braced his leg against the strut to lever himself up so he could rest on top of the rim of the netting. 'Aggghhh!'

The thunderbird dipped just slightly before he managed to squish himself in., He arranged his arms crossed over his chest, palms holding on to shoulders to try and shelter his injuries and keep the net from cutting into his face. Then he braced his legs the best he could. This was actually insane; he reflected to himself.

Just then he thought he heard something outside… like an engine? but it was hard to tell as his bird was so well soundproofed. TB1 started to list again 'Ohhhhh No, no, no!'. This was like the roller-coaster rides Alan used to love when he was young but Scott had really had his fill today. He didn't think he would ever be able to stomach the sight of one again, let alone go on one. Yep; he definitely heard thrusters briefly before they became faint again. He knew that sound anywhere…it was Two! 'Yes!' Scott allowed himself a brief cheer just as he heard the distinctive thud of the electromagnetic grabs. For the first time in a while he believed he might make it out alive. A lone silent tear relief tracked down his worn and bloodied face. They had found him!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! A short chapter with a lengthier one likely to follow! Needless to say Scott's time is running out!


	11. Chapter 11

Alan was approaching the danger zone. 'Base to Thunderbird 2'.

'Thunderbird 2; receiving you, go ahead'.

'Alan, What's your E.T.A?' Jeff questioned.

'I'm approximately ten minutes away'. Alan replied as he gently adjusted his course.

'Good. John has managed to get current satellite imagery of the area now. Brains and Tin-Tin have scoured the image and have located Scott, based on Gordon's observations.' Jeff indicated Brains should step in to advise.

'A-A-lan. The g-g-ood news is that TB1 appears to be intact. The b-bad news is that her erm… nose is pointing up the r-river which means the h-heavier engines and thrusters are s-suspended over the edge of the waterfall. Y-you need to be careful; even the thrusters of two's engines could be enough to t-tip her. She appears to have b-een beached on an island which has s-since disintegrated due to the r-rising floodwater from the storm'.

Alan Frowned. 'Ok Brains; thanks for the heads up, I'll approach with caution'.

'Alan, I want to know the moment you have her secured safely. Virgil is on route to your location now as is Gordon.'

'Ok father, I'll be in contact as soon as I know more'.

'F.A.B son'.

Alan was already flat out, frustrated at TB2's lack of speed. It did not sound good. He just hoped beyond hope that his brother had survived the impact and that he could lift TB1 to safety… if he let her fall, he would never forgive himself. He had reached the coordinates; sure enough he could see TB1 just to the left of him. It was amazing she was still hanging on! TB1's nose was buried in the sludge and soil of what would have been a small island in the middle of the river. A Dam of trees had snagged up on one side of the river between the island and the bank. This appeared to have been what was wedging one in position but as the strength of the waters had increased, they had started to become dislodged slowly taking TB1 with them like driftwood caught in a longshore drift. The craft was now semi suspended over the edge. She was stationary at the moment but Brains was right, it would not take a lot to tip her at all. Alan frowned in concern.

He wanted to use the electromagnetic grabs to grab her securely but he now realised two's thrusters were likely to cause too much down thrust and knock TB1 over. There was not enough distance between the electromagnetic grabs and the body of Two to be able to get close enough without the interference of the thrusters. Hmmm. Alan decided he would have to use the grapples instead but this was risky as they may not be strong enough to lift her clear… wait! Maybe he didn't have to lift her? well; not far anyway? He could deploy the grapples and lift and quickly deposit her on the bank opposite nearest to the small island. There was a space that was now mostly devoid of trees thanks to the storm. Yes! That could work! He opened up a communications line with TB5 and base. He explained his plan.

'I don't know son; it sounds risky the grabs would be more secure…'

John had opened up communications to Gordon and Virgil who were now listening via their watches.

'I agree with Alan, the downforce would be too dangerous with the position one is in; personally I would use the grapple lines'. Virgil cut across the comms.

'Very well, go ahead Alan. We are here if you need help'.

'Ok, here we go'. Alan nervously lined up two to take the shot. His hand paused over the button on the dash, he had to be sure….

The whoosh of the cables could be heard as they deployed from underneath. One found its target, the other slipped and splashed in to the river. 'Damn it!' Alan hastily retracted it.

'Woah! she really tipped then!' Gordon shouted. He was almost there now; he had regrouped with the GDF and was watching over the top of a jeep bonnet at a safe distance near where Alan was going to set one down if successful.

'I know'! Alan ground out before he shot the line again in quick succession. This time there was a definite clang as it made contact. He started to lift up, the engines beginning to take the strain. TB2 dipped slightly with the effort as Alan fought with the controls.

'Christ she's heavy!' Alan strained, his grip tightening on the controls.

'Alan reduce the thrust then build her up slowly - don't gun it'. Virgil advised.

'Okay' he pulled up, slowly TB1 started to rise, skimming the water. He couldn't take her any higher and quickly steered her over the bank.

Gordon had his heart in his mouth just as Virgil ran up to him, having been lifted down via harness from the GDF craft that had gone to find a suitable place to land. He was panting from the effort bracing his hands on his knees as he leant forwards. They both shared a quick glance as they watched in trepidation, both well aware that they were pretty helpless right now should anything go awry.

Alan almost had her over the bank when one of the lines pinged off with an almighty bang!

'No!' Virgil and Gordon shouted in unison.

Alan swore and quickly increased his speed. Luckily over half of TB1 was now over the bank and he was able to half tow, half drag the rest of her over on to bank leaving a huge rut in the ground as she scraped along before finally coming to a rest some 20 ft away from the edge.

'Well done Alan! That was cracking!' Virgil praised over the line. Gordon could be heard whooping in the back ground. They both started running for TB1's entrance. They noticed she was upside down which filled them with concern. Luckily the hatch was located on the side so it was easier to get to. Alan hovered anxiously above.

Virgil knew that Scott wouldn't be able to hear them in there with the door closed, so there was no point in shouting. Gordon had tried the door release mechanism but it wouldn't budge. Virgil grabbed the laser cutter he had brought with him just in case they had to use it. Gordon had already scrambled to fit the mask so he took the cutter off of Virgil and began to cut through the door hatch.

'What's happening?' Jeff demanded.

'The door is jammed from the impact, Gordon is just cutting through it now, no contact from Scott as of yet.' Virgil watched; Gordon was halfway through now.

Alan hated waiting but there was nowhere big enough anywhere near here to land two, so he had little choice if he wanted to see them rescue Scott.

John had been motionless for the last twenty minutes, stood with his head cocked towards the console not wanting to miss a moment of news, he needed to know if Scott was alright!

Jeff was sat at his desk, listening intently with Alan's image on the screen via video link. Brains was behind his shoulder waiting intently whilst Tin-Tin was sat leaning into her father who tried to comfort her. Both anxiously waiting for news.

No sooner had Gordon finished the final cut, Virgil had slammed his foot in a forceful kick at the door. It gave way under the pressure and clattered as it fell. He leapt through the entrance as Gordon tossed his mask on the floor and followed suit. Virgil glanced up and down, God it was a mess in here! Supplies were strewn left and right all over the roof which was under his feet. The cabin smelt stale but oddly sweet near the pilot's quarters.

'Where the hell is, he?' Exclaimed Gordon looking at the empty chair above.

'Over here.' Croaked a parched but familiar voice.

'Scott!' Virgil called in surprise. He pushed his way across to where he had heard him. Gordon followed in quick succession and paused as he took in the scene before him in shock. Scott was lying lengthways in the cargo netting. Virgil scrambled in his kit bag and grabbed a torch to shine more light on the situation.

Scott caught Gordon's shocked but somewhat bemused expression. He coughed and glared at his ginger haired brother. 'Not a word from you, D'you hear me? Not a damn word. I've had a hell of a day'. A ghost of a smile flitted across Scott's face.

Gordon sniggered 'I'm not saying a thing'.

He held his hands up in mock surrender which just made Scott groan in exasperation. Gordon couldn't help it; a mixture of relief and supressed emotions under stress appeared to be bubbling to the surface. If he wasn't so worried, he'd be in hysterics. It was not how he imagined they would find him.

Virgil rolled his eyes and turned to Scott. 'How bad are you hurt before I release you?' Virgil was already shining a torch at the head wound. Scott hands were still trapped so he scrunched his eyes shut instead. 'Owww! Not too bad, banged my head on initial impact, vomited but no further problems apart from a banging headache. Oh, and I think I have whiplash and bruised or maybe cracked ribs at worst?'

'Hmmm not too bad huh? You and I have distinctly different definitions. Ok let's get you out'. It was obvious Scott couldn't scramble out. It was amazing he had got in there with his injuries in the first place. Virgil motioned to Gordon go and get the stretcher. He returned swiftly and set it on the floor before producing the cutter again to simply melt through the nylon netting whilst Virgil firmly held Scott in position. Once the net was cut Gordon then quickly supported and braced Scott's legs as Virgil dealt with supporting Scott's head and middle. They tried to keep Scott as straight as possible, it was the best they could do. The fact He had obviously been mobile enough to get in there reduced Virgil's concerns of spinal or neck injury. Scott yelped involuntarily as Virgil lowered his back on to the stretcher. Virgil raised an eyebrow 'On the scale of one to ten, how bad is the pain, the truth?'

Scott swallowed. 'Seven,but I've had painkillers.' Virgil had already completed his assessment. Scott was certainly banged up but his vitals were good and his pupil response rate was in the safe zone. If he had been concussed it had certainly passed. His eyes were quite light sensitive but that was likely mostly due to the fact that there was only a faint glow of emergency power in here. He was concerned about potential broken collar bones and ribs but they couldn't do anything about that here.

They had kept open comms so the family heard everything, they were all incredibly relieved to hear he was alive! They even all shared a chuckle when they heard Scott moaning about why they had to cut a hole in his bird when he was convinced it could have been prised open. He should see the state of the rest of her!

Virgil and Gordon loaded Scott into the back of a long wheel-based jeep before taking a short drive to where two had been able to land. Alan and Virgil then took him straight to the sick bay on board. Alan was smiling in relief that his brother was so responsive. Gordon paused at the entrance of the pod to express his heartfelt thanks to the captain and his unit before embarking up the pod ramp. He turned and waved as the ramp retracted.

No one dared tell Scott they were leaving his beloved bird behind; their priority was to get him home. The GDF had offered to guard one's location until Virgil could return better prepared later in the day to collect her.


	12. Chapter 12

Scott had fallen into an easy sleep on the way home with new stronger painkillers in his system. With Gordon and Alan for company he had felt the safest he had in a while. Gordon and Alan knew he was shattered so they hadn't peppered him with the questions they were dying to ask and instead let him rest. He woke up again as they touched down on the island; he was sure glad to be home.

Scott was transferred straight to the medical bay where Brains had prepped the scanners whilst Scott had been helped out of his filthy uniform and found some fresh linen PJ's bottoms, by his dad. Initially Scott tried to pull his arm out of one sleeve but hissed in pain, so Jeff grabbed some scissors and simply cut it down the middle and peeled it off. He was shocked at the colour and extent of the bruising Scott had sustained across his chest and midriff. It was going to take some weeks to heal. Then Jeff gently settled Scott back on the bed and withdrew so Brains could start the overhead full body scanner.

With Jeff hovering over Brain's shoulder, they discovered that as well as the head wound Scott had sustained a fractured collar bone and three cracked ribs as well as the intensive bruising. Jeff and Brains were astounded his injuries were not more severe. Tin-Tin was now busy gluing the wound on Scott's head with great attention to detail before carefully applying a dressing. Her and Jeff then gently wound a large bandage around Scott's ribcage to provide additional support. Scott tried not to react but no matter how gentle they tried to be it hurt, so he just gritted his teeth while they worked quickly to complete it. Tin-Tin must have stacked a mountain of pillows behind him for which he was grateful as it was so much more comfortable.

'Well son, I say you were lucky there!' Jeff stood up fully from leaning over Scott and chucked the excess bandage in the bin.

'I'll say' replied Alan replied, sticking his head around the door now Brains had said it was clear to come in.

'I guess you could say I was... how long was I missing father? I had no idea in there with just the emergency power and my watch smashed.' He was curious to know how much time he had lost.

'Seven hours.' Jeff replied.

'Seven hours! Wow it seemed like days.' Scott muttered.

'I can imagine, we would have got to you sooner but it was a pig to find your location and we had another rescue too'. Alan remarked just as Virgil and Gordon piled in with John on the screen in Virgil's hands.

'Hey guys; I was going to the living room but now your all here…'

'You're not going anywhere Scott! You need to rest'. Chided Tin-Tin.

'So, what happened? I'm sorry I couldn't warn you about the storm'. John looked apologetic as he ran a hand through his blonde hair, Flicking the curl back into place as he did so.

'Hey, it's not your fault! I know you were in the middle of a solar flare… Well basically I saw the storm too late on my radar and tried to outgun it but got sucked in. I guess I got spun round because it all went crazy before I blacked out and woke up upside down.' He paused to sip the drink Tin-Tin had reached for him.

'Wow; Scott that must have been terrifying!' Virgil looked at him in sympathy.

'Yeah, well I knew I had to free myself because the comms wouldn't work and I needed to get upright, the pressure on my head and chest was intense. Then I must have blacked out again. When I woke, I just tried to stay calm and prioritise my health and rations until you guys showed up. I had no idea where I landed, if it was safe to get out- well even if I could but the door was jammed so I stayed put. I had plenty of water and enough food for a bit. I tried to fix my watch but it was knackered'. Scott looked at Alan. 'Virgil told me he was finishing up the other rescue and you lifted TB1 off of the edge of the waterfall, that was some skillful flying kid, I honestly barely felt a thing even when she slipped.' Alan smiled it was rare to receive praise from Scott.

'Thank you; all of you, I would have been a goner otherwise'. Scott looked at down at his hands in his lap.

'Well you know, just doing our job' Gordon replied nonchalantly 'No biggie, I just went swimming with some anacondas and caimans thinking you had drowned when actually you were above me the whole time on a freaking waterfall no less.'

Scott laughed but grimaced at a jolt of pain 'Ah! Don't make me laugh dammit!'

'Sorry.' Gordon smiled and John laughed.

'We are just glad to have you home safe'. Jeff said shooting a warning glance at Gordon to rein it in, he could see the mischievous spark in his eyes.

By now Virgil had slumped into a nearby chair, John's video screen balanced on his lap facing towards Scott. He was shattered from back to back rescues but too happy to see his brother home to leave. Gordon was lounging over two chairs shoved together, his legs bent over the arms. Jeff was stood leaning against the wall and Tin had taken the seat closest to Scott. Brains hovered on the edge of the room. Kyrano was in the kitchen.

'So, I have one question.' piped up Gordon.

'hmmm' Scott intoned in perfect likeness to his father.

'Just what were you doing in the cargo net?'

'Come again?' questioned Alan, John raised an eyebrow.

Scott groaned. 'You're not going to forget that are you?'

'Noooooooooo' Gordon shook his head in exaggerated forlorn nodding motion, before tipping his head back in full on laughter.

Virgil stood up and cuffed him over the head 'Hey!' displacing John's image as he did so.

'Right I think that's enough for now, let's give Scott some peace so he can recuperate'. Jeff pushed off the wall and placed a hand on his son's shoulder gently (Scott had a flushed face and was grateful of a reprieve).

'Need anything else son?'

'I don't suppose there's any apple pie?' he asked hopefully. 'I'm starving'.

'I get Kyrano to rustle some up'.

'Thanks!'

Slowly the family tumbled out of the room and into the lounge, chatting as they went, Gordon pushing Alan out of the way and generally goofing around. Playful bantering could be heard well down the corridor. Scott didn't want to be left alone after what felt like an eternity being isolated. He pushed his legs over the edge of the bed, wincing as he did so and awkwardly got up without using his arms to push off the bed, as one was in a sling and he didn't want to add any pressure to his injuries. He winced as he straightened up. He then started to pad out barefoot towards the lounge.

'No, you don't!' Virgil walked past the entrance to the medical bay and turned his brother around. 'I knew I shouldn't have upped your pain meds, it makes you think your invincible. You wouldn't event be moving without them'.

'Come on! I can sit on my ass in the lounge. I thought you were meant to be getting One anyway?'

'Well I can go and get her quicker if I don't have to shepherd you back to bed'.

'Fine' Scott sighed shallowly (his chest was too tight) as he let himself be led back to bed and the covers pulled up. Virgil chucked a tablet on Scott's lap.

'Rose was calling you'.

'It's Friday! I forgot!' Scott quickly checked the time and started the call, Excited for their TV binge marathon that usually occurred on a Friday.

Virgil smiled and walked out the door confident Scott would stay put now.

'Well done Son, go careful.' Smiled Jeff knowingly as he passed by to take in the apple pie.

'F.A.B'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's the conclusion to M.I.A thank you for viewing, reading and the comments, I hope you enjoyed this one. I will post a sequel shortly which follows Scott's recovery with a little vacation with his long term friend.


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